Manicuring implement



March 15, 1949. B,'CH]EGO MANICURING IMPLEMENT Filed June 8, 1946 FIG. 2

E v N 56 m ME O MuL o 6 FN EM I LU B E A 6 H L U LMM N C N N CUTICLE MATRIX NAIL WAL B NE 5 UBCUTRNEOUS TISSUE FIG/5 0 ma NE mH 6 0 R A M E B Patented Mar. 15, 1949 UNITED STATES LPTENT OFFICE MANICURING IMPLEMENT Bernard Chiego, Newark, N. J.

Application June 8, 1946, Serial No. 675,437 1 Claim. (Cl. 132-455) This invention relates to the construction of implement especially adapted for use in manicuring. In this art the cuticle must be detached from the nail plate and pushed back after which it is out or trimmed with a cuticle clipper or scissors. In order to properly carry out the manicuring operation, two things are used to accomplish the right result. One is a cuticle lotion having the proper characteristics as will be hereinafter referred to and another is an instrument to aid in detaching the cuticle from the nail plate and push it back past the halfmoon or lunula at the base of the nail. Heretofore the instruments used for this purpose have been the so-called orange Wood stick and a cuticle knife. Both of these instruments possess sharp edges and many times, especially in the hands of the inexperienced, cause injury to the cuticle, nail plate, peri-unguial regions and sometimes even to the matrix.

It is the object of my present invention to provide an implement for manicuring purposes which even in the hands of an unskilled operator will accomplish the desired results expeditiously and without injury to the parts just mentioned.

Another object of my invention is to provide a manicuring implement which will remove from a container holding the cuticle lotion the exact amount of lotion which should be used in the treatment of each finger or toe nail.

A further object of my invention is to provide a manicuring implement that will not only pick up the correct amount of lotion but will transfer the lotion to the cuticle around the nail plate or spread it evenly under the free edge of the nail without spilling or wasting the lotion. The lotion which I pefer to use with my new and improved manicuring implement is the subject of a separate application and will therefore not be further described herein.

After a long and careful study of the anatomy and biochemistry of the nails, I havedesigned an implement to obtain the objects above set forth. The implement is illustrated in the annexed drawing wherein,

Figure 1 is a partial longitudinal section through a finger nail to better illustrate the action of the implement.

Figure 2 is a plan view of the end of the finger.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of one form of my improved implement.

Figure 4 is a plan view of the device shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a plan view of a modified form of the implement.

Figure 6 is a side view of the device shown in Figure 5 without any additional handle.

Figure '7 shows a side view of the operating end of a modified form of construction.

Figure 8 which shows a side view of the operating end of a further modified form of construction.

In the various views wherein like numbers refer to corresponding parts, is the handle portion of the implement. The portion I has a bent over end 2 which as shown in Figure 4 may be slightly arcuate in form with respect to the axis of th handle portion. This arcuate formation somewhat simulates the junction of the nail with the cuticle as will be seen by reference to Figure 2. Right close to the bent over portion 2 there is a hole or orifice 3 provided for use in withdrawing the right amount of lotion from a container when this bent end is inserted into the lotion and then withdrawn. I found that when the hole or orifice 3 is properly located the amount of lotion, especially that described in my copending application, will be just the right amount to wet and soften the cuticle so that directly after its application the bent end 2, placed downwardly against the nail, will push the cuticle back over the halfmoon or lunula without any injury to the nail wall or matrix.

The implement may be made of metal or plastic and as shown in Figures 3 and 4 does not require any handle but the handle portion i may be provided with a file surface l and with an end 5 suitable for operating on the side of the free edge of the nail at the surfac 6. When the instrument is made of metal such as stainless steel I have obtained very satisfactory results by using a thickness of metal approximately a: of an inch by wide and 3%" long. Where aluminum is used a somewhat thicker strip is more desirable.

The choice of thickness in plastic is dependent upon the type of plastic employed. I have also found that the hole or orifice 3 should be aproximately 1 3'" in diameter to properly handle the lotion set forth in my pending application. In Figure 5 the handle portion I is round having one end flattened at l in order to properly form the turned end 2. The handle 8 shown in dotted lines may or may not be used with the round material. Also in this form I have shown the turned end as straight instead of curved as in Figure 4. In Figure 7 I have shown an enlarged operating end of an implement in which the bent end 2 may have a tapering surface 9 but preferably this tapering surface does not come to a sharp edge. Furthermore, the upturned end may have a curvilinear surface as shown in Figure 8 by the lines [0. These Various ways of forming the turned end show that I am not limited to any one particular form as I have found each of those shown will work satisfactorily although I prefer the form shown in Figure 4. While I prefer the use of an orifice 3 as and for the purpose described the formation of the bent end 2 may be such as to perform the same function, that is to say,- of picking up and holding the right amount of lotion for application to the nail. Also in the drawingwhere I have shown the instruments at approximately full size in Figures 3 to 6 inclusive, the length and thickness may be varied as heretofore indicated. Having thus described my invention,

What I claim is:

A nail cuticle retractor of suitable material having a handle portion terminating at one end in a bent over part that is preferably arcuately 20 4 curved on a radius located approximately within the axis of the handle portion to simulate the curvature of the union of the exposed portion of the nail plate and cuticle, the retractor having a small hole therethrough right close to the bend for the purpose described.

BERNARD CHIEGO.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,715,914- Halk June 4, 1929 2,019,580 Poux Nov. 5, 1935 2,029,835 Reichle Feb. 4, 1936 2,116,888 Grodka May 10, 1938 2,236,096 Henry ...a Mar. 25, 1941 

